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Red River Recruiting Rout E-mail
Written by Allen Kenney   
Friday, 29 January 2010 21:12

Texas Longhorns fans

Looks like it's pretty fun to be a Texas Longhorn these days.

(Aside from, ya know, actually having to live with yourself.)

Your basketball team is considered one of the best in the country.

Your football team just won its third Big 12 championship. (No "*" necessary.)

Jordan HicksAnd your football future looks awfully bright. Within the span of a couple hours on Friday, Mack Brown managed to persuade not one, but two five-star defensive recruits in Jackson Jeffcoat and Jordan Hicks to join arguably the best recruiting class of Mr. February's UT tenure.

With National Signing Day just around the corner, Texas' talented haul has the Longhorns' neighbors to the north seeing crimson.

It's not that the Oklahoma Sooners' latest bunch lack talent. To the contrary, Rivals recruiting service ranks OU's class fifth in the country.

No, it's the way in which Mack locked down his home base in 2010 that has Sooner Nation concerned. In their traditional battleground of the Lone Star State, the home team won in a route this year.

The 'Horns managed to sew up four of the top five prospects in Texas and six of the top 10, according to the Rivals rankings. OU's top Texas recruit, offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson, checks in at No. 24.

Ronald Reagan and Walter MondaleThat's not quite Reagan-Mondale, but you get the picture.

Luckily for OU fans, coach Bob Stoops and his staff did manage to find success in other recruiting hotbeds. Wide receiver Justin McCay, the Sooners' top prospect in the Rivals national rankings, hails from Kansas. In fact, the Sunflower State's top three players–McCay, quarterback Blake Bell and defensive end Geneo Grissom–are all heading to Norman in the fall.

The Sooners also snagged a commitment from one of the best running backs in Florida, Roy Finch, to go along with three of the top recruits in California in wide receiver Kenny Stills, defensive back Tony Jefferson and running back Brennan Clay.

Looking ahead, OU's influx of 2010 recruits from outside the Texas breadbasket actually raises a more interesting issue than whether or not the Sooners can keep a toehold in the state.

UT is the flagship university in one of the country's most talent-rich states. As the clear top dog in Texas, the reality is that more often than not, Mack and his crew are going to be heavy favorites to win the services of a player from within the state. (Of course, Texas' recent control of the Red River Shootout has served to widen its advantage over Oklahoma.)

In that sense, OU may be better served by simply letting UT take its spoils first. There are plenty of talented players in the state, and the Longhorns don't have room for all of them. Meanwhile, the Sooner coaches can concentrate on doubling up their efforts on a national scale.

Is it worth waging all-out recruiting war with the Longhorns every year?

Read the 2010 tea leaves, and you may have Stoops' answer.

Comments (6)Add Comment
...
written by Aaron T, January 30, 2010
Allen good recap.

I don't follow recruiting particularly, but I do have a question for you: I know that Texas usually gets the guys within the border that they want (with some very notable exceptions like AD Peterson heading up North).

But have they ever gotten a more highly regarded out of state recruit than Jordan Hicks? Admittedly, I'm not someone who follows this stuff particularly closely, but I don't ever remember it happening either.

Just curious as to your thoughts on it
Re: Texas recruiting out of state
written by Blatant Homerism, January 30, 2010
Hey Aaron,

Thanks for the feedback.

You're right about UT's history recruiting outside of Texas. For a little perspective, the Longhorns' roster this year had just seven players from outside the state.

Hicks is probably the biggest non-Texas recruit Mack has landed since Chris Simms, which was like 10 years ago.
...
written by Aaron T, January 30, 2010
Yeh, I totally forgot about Chris Simms, but going through my head I really couldn't think of anyone else from outside the states borders.

Thanks!

Re: Simms
written by Blatant Homerism, January 30, 2010
Aaron,

Simms' UT career was quite forgettable, so that's not surprising.

AK
...
written by Mookie Blaylock, February 01, 2010
Very strange recruiting season for OU. It is hard to imagine OU getting one recruit in the Texas top 25 and still having a top 5 class. The weird part is that UT was beating OU for players even at positions (like WR) in which Texas has a lot of numbers.

In the end, I really like the players that signed with OU. I think the 3 from Southern California are a real coup for Stoops.
reply
written by French35KATHY, March 21, 2010
I strictly recommend not to hold off until you get big sum of cash to order goods! You can take the loan or just short term loan and feel yourself comfortable

Write comment

busy
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Last Updated on Monday, 01 February 2010 22:34
 

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